Midnight Calls
by SeriesTherapy
Summary: "The buzzing of her cell phone on the nightstand wakes her up. Before she even sees the caller's name, she recognizes the blue eyes in the picture. Castle. What does he want now?" Set after 3x22
1. Chapter 1

The buzzing of her cell phone on the nightstand wakes her up. She's always been a light sleeper, but ever since she became a cop, even the faintest noise is enough to make her eyes fly open. She's used to being summoned to crime scenes at odd hours.

Her boyfriend Josh remains asleep on the bed next to her, unperturbed. Kate briefly wonders how it is possible that the phone call hasn't woken him up as well. After all, he's also accustomed to being called at any time, the minute a patient needs surgery. It could be due to the exhaustion, though. He arrived late this evening with just enough time to have dinner before collapsing onto the bed, extremely tired after a long and grueling surgery. They truly are quite a match in that aspect.

However, Kate doesn't have the time to dwell on these thoughts for long, because her cell is still vibrating. Reluctantly, she reaches for the device, narrowing her eyes to protect them from the brightness of the screen. When she's finally grown accustomed to the light, she squints at the picture on the screen, attempting to distinguish the identity of her late-night caller. Before she even sees the caller's name, she recognizes the blue eyes in the picture. _Castle. What does he want now?_

Kate rises from the bed carefully, so as not to rouse Josh, and tiptoes out of the room, catching a glimpse of the clock on the other nightstand as she passes through the doorway. It's half past twelve. Why on earth is Castle calling so late?

As soon as she makes it into the living room, she flops on the couch and answers the phone.

"Castle, what's up?"

"Hey, Beckett, listen—" The writer stops talking for a moment, apparently noting the sleepiness lacing the detective's voice. "Er… I didn't… did I wake you?"

Beckett inhales deeply before answering him. It's been a hard week for her. She and the team have been facing a very challenging and demanding case for the past four days, and she's physically and emotionally drained. The case still isn't solved, though, and she and wants nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep in hopes of tomorrow being better. But Kate doesn't want to admit how tired she is to Castle.

"No, don't worry, I wasn't sleeping yet," she lies, trying to keep the exhaustion from showing in her voice.

Apparently, it's not that easy to fool Castle, though. "I'm so sorry, Beckett," he says with a sigh. "I'll let you go back to sleep."

"Castle, wait." She stops him, before he can hang up on her. "Is everything okay?"

"Er… yes… I just…" Castle stutters.

"Spill, Castle," Beckett demands.

"What do you think is the best way to get rid of a corpse in the city?" he blurts out quickly.

Okay, so it's a question about Nikki Heat. He must be doing some late-night writing. While he was writing the first books in the series, Castle pestered her with endless questions about police procedure, but he limited his grilling to the hours they spent together at the precinct. Lately, though, he's been calling her to ask her all kinds of things. Curiously enough, the calls grow in number when they haven't seen each other in a while. Kate doesn't mind, as much as she pretends otherwise; it's the perfect way to keep in touch with him, even when he doesn't come to the precinct in person. Besides, she's thoroughly amused by the fact that accomplished author Richard Castle, with twenty-eight best-selling mystery novels under his belt, isn't capable of imagining a creative way of dispose of a body. She knows that book advice is not the only reason behind his phone calls.

"Oh my God, Castle! What have you done?" she gasps in mock horror.

"Ha ha, very funny, Detective," the writer deadpans. "Seriously, I'm completely stuck. If the killer doesn't work a little bit harder, Nikki is going to be all over him by the end of the third chapter."

"Don't sweat it," Kate replies. "She's just that good."

"That she is," he responds candidly.

The sincerity in Castle's tone causes her heart start pounding furiously. She knows that he's referring to her, and no longer talking about Nikki, and she is left breathless, just as she always is when he says something like this to her. If she and Castle were face to face, it would be much harder for her to deflect the issue, but on the phone, she takes the easy way out, simply choosing not to reply. The silence stretches until he ends it, as usual.

"Although, of course, Nikki wouldn't be nearly as good as she is without Rook."

"Please, Castle, you're exaggerating," she responds lightly. She knows how true that statement is, though, for both the fictional characters and for the real couple they represent.

"Oh, come on! Nikki and Rook complement each other. They're the best team in town!"

So it was going to be one of those talks– dialogues in which they both carefully mask what they really mean behind half-truths and innuendos, with the goal of diverting the other's attention, but without ever managing it. It's not safe territory for Kate, due to the risk of accidentally confessing her carefully bottled up feelings, so she quickly changes the subject.

"Soak it in acid."

"I'm sorry?"

"The corpse," she clarifies. "If you submerge it in acid, you will wipe all the traces of the killer's DNA, and you will make it more difficult to ID the body. So that would delay Nikki at least another three or four chapters."

"You know, sometimes I wonder what the FBI would think if they listened to these little chats," he laughs.

"It's better if they don't. We would probably end up in prison. Well, you would, anyway," Kate adds, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Let's hope not; orange isn't really my color," he jokes.

Castle changes the subject, and his initial "Nikki Heat" issue is quickly forgotten as they begin to talk endlessly about everything and anything. Time slips away from them as they laugh, banter, and poke fun at each other. It's not until he abruptly interrupts his rambling, asking her if she noticed the time, that Kate looks at the clock.

"It can't be…" she mutters incredulously. "Four AM? My clock must be broken."

"In that case, mine is too, because it says the same," Castle replies.

"Castle, we've been talking for over three hours!"

"We certainly have," he says quietly. "We'd better hang up. You have an early start tomorrow– well, today, I guess."

Kate is suddenly overwhelmed by a new sensation. It feels a lot like disappointment, but it can't be. Not so long ago, she collapsed onto her bed, utterly exhausted. But now, even though she has to be up and about in a few hours, she doesn't want to stop talking to Castle, despite knowing that she'll see him at work in the morning. How is it possible that the idea of hanging up the phone makes her sad?

"Yeah, you're right," she whispers.

"Hold on, can I get that in writing?"

"Very funny, Castle," she says sarcastically. "See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be there," he promises.

"Don't forget my coffee," she adds at the last second, as a way of saying goodbye.

"Goodnight, Detective," he replies, chuckling softly.

"Night, Castle."

She hangs up the phone and remains seated for a moment, staring absently at the rug. Suddenly, she remembers: _Josh_. Her boyfriend is still in the bedroom, asleep, and she's been so absorbed in her chat with Castle that she has completely forgotten about him.

In that moment, she's struck with an abrupt realization: talking to her partner makes her happy. Much happier than sharing a bed with her boyfriend does. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

As she enters her bedroom, Kate sees the sleeping form of Josh and realizes something else: Royce's words to her in his letter were right. She's been hiding from the truth, and she has turned her back to her true feelings. Before she can stop them, her carefully erected walls begin to crumple, and the only thing she's left with is the truth: she's in love with Castle. And it's time to do something about it.

* * *

A/N: _I want to thank encantadaa for all her help and beta work. I send you my "unchanging" love ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

Days go by with an unchanging routine, and Kate is still gathering the courage needed to have the dreaded conversation with Josh. In the meantime, things remain the same between the two of them, with both working long hours in alternating shifts. Josh stays the night once or twice a week, but other than that, they rarely see each other, except for sharing occasional meals together. He always comes to Kate's apartment- it's never the other way around. Even at the beginning of their relationship, he was always the one to go to her place, because that was more comfortable for Kate. But ever since her trip to L.A. with Castle, she hasn't even set foot in Josh's apartment. She and Josh often go several days without seeing each other, and it seems like the promises made after his almost-trip to Haiti are gone, like a leaf on the wind.

On the other hand, Kate sees Castle on a daily basis. The writer comes to the precinct even on the dullest days, when there's only paperwork piling up on her desk. On those days, he brings her a cup of coffee or a hamburger, depending on the time, and leaves after keeping her company for a while. His presence makes even the most boring day enjoyable.

When Kate has a day off, they talk on the phone. And when she does have to work, but for whatever reason, Castle is not with her, they exchange frequent text messages, with the excuse of catching up on the latest developments in her cases or the most important events on their lives. They even chat about the not so important moments, like Alexis' dentist appointment or the baseball game Kate watched with Jim.

Kate no longer seeks excuses for those calls. In fact, she's the one who initiates them sometimes. She's already admitted, at least to herself, that she and Castle simply miss each other when they're apart and need to remain in touch.

With each new day, she becomes even more convinced that her feelings for Castle are very much real, and she could swear that the same emotion is reflected back at her in his eyes. Josh's name is never brought up in their conversations. They act as though he doesn't exist, and truth be told, Kate herself has trouble recalling her relationship with him sometimes.

Every day is the same with Josh. They both talk about work, and they eat and sleep together. Nothing else. Even the sex has been seemingly forgotten, pushed into the background. The relationship between them is not sustainable, and it is drawing to an inevitable close. Kate has decided to put an end to it, but she hasn't managed to summon up the courage to call things off yet.

One night, though, she just can't take it anymore.

Josh has just arrived, after yet another long day at work, and she's only been home for less than an hour. They haven't seen each other in a week, and they are sitting on opposite ends of the couch, eating a takeout leftovers as a late dinner.

Despite not having seen each other for a while, their conversation is stilted and awkward. After yet another awkward silence between them, Kate finally plucks up the courage to speak, setting her plate on the coffee table. If she doesn't speak up now, she knows she never will.

"Josh, we need to talk."

He sighs, setting down his own plate and turning to face her.

"I know," he agrees calmly.

But he doesn't elaborate any further, and she's grateful that he's letting her be the one in charge of the conversation. Kate is silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she takes a deep breath, deciding to be completely honest with him.

"This isn't working," she declares. "We barely see each other, and we don't even talk on the phone anymore. We don't do anything besides work and sleep. And even when we are together, we don't speak."

Josh is still staring at her, with an inscrutable expression, but he waits until she continues.

"We're stuck, Josh. Trapped in routine. I'm… I'm not happy. And I think we both deserve more than this. I think we could make this work, but…" she trails off, her eyes unfocused, lost in thought.

"Tell me something, Kate," Josh intervenes. "Do you really want this to work? Are you willing to fight for this, for us?" Kate looks down at the floor, choosing not to respond. "I know we've both made efforts to make this work, but I have the feeling that this isn't our only issue," he continues. "And I really don't know how to fix it. I don't even know if I want to."

"You're right. It isn't the only issue," Kate whispers. She hesitates, trying to figure out the best way to phrase her thoughts. "I just… what we have isn't enough for me anymore. I want more. The thrill and excitement that our relationship used to have is just gone, and I'm not sure if it can come back."

"Is the thrill just gone for us, or in general?" Once again, she chooses not to respond. He pushes, though, clearly dissatisfied with her silence. "Is there somebody else, Kate?"

She swallows and raises her head slowly, expecting to find Josh's eyes filled with accusations. To her surprise, though, there's nothing but understanding and a deep sadness in his gaze. She can't lie to him. He doesn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry."

There's no need to add anything else. He shrugs, almost imperceptibly.

"Me too." The expression written across Josh's face makes her think that he, too, knew that this conversation was inevitable. There's no surprise on his features, only sorrow.

Josh rises from the couch, and Kate follows his example. He makes his way to the front door without uttering a single word, putting on his jacket as he goes. She trails behind him, her shoulders slouched. As he gets to the door, Josh turns back to face her.

"I guess I'll have to come by and get my things… when would be a good time?" he asks.

"Whenever you want," Kate shrugs.

He smiles sadly and takes a step toward her, tilting his head to deposit a soft kiss on her cheek in an unequivocal gesture of farewell.

"Take care, Kate."

"Goodbye, Josh."

And in a blink of an eye, he's gone. Kate stands by the closed door of her apartment long after she's heard the ding of the elevator signaling his departure. She can't shake her sadness over the end of their relationship. Despite how hard things had gotten between them, Josh is a good person, and she really likes him. For the longest time, she thought that they could make it work, and the realization that it never can saddens her.

The distant ringing of her cell phone snaps her out of her reverie, and she shuffles absently into the living room to pick it up. She glances at the caller ID as she answers, and a smile brightens her face as she recognizes the caller.

"Hey, Castle."


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed since Kate broke up with Josh, and in the back of her mind, she still thought about him. However, as the days went by, those memories were no longer tinged with culpability. She was still sad about having to break up with him, but she was satisfied with the way things had ended. In a way, Kate felt free.

Until she broke up with him, she hadn't realized what an enormous weight her relationship with Josh had been leaving on her shoulders. Now that it had been lifted, she felt such an immense relief, and she was happier than she'd been in a long time. And she was very aware of whom she associated those feelings with.

Kate still hadn't told Castle that she ended things with Josh, though. She wasn't worried about her partner's reaction, but she wanted to fully close that chapter of her life before starting a new one.

There was no doubt in her mind about Castle's feelings for her anymore. They spoke on the phone every night now, even if they had spent the day together at work. Kate never went to sleep without talking to Castle first, and she had a feeling the same could be said about him. Of course, those calls often meant that they stayed awake for hours. If Castle wondered where Josh was, he never asked out loud.

A few days after breaking up with Josh, Kate invited her partner out for a celebratory dinner following a successful arrest. After burgers at Remy's, they went to the Old Haunt. The hours flew by as they joked and talked over drinks, and they stayed at the bar long after the last patron walked out the door. Those were the perks of having your own bar, Kate supposed.

Those outings became the norm eventually, which is why Kate met Castle at the bar on a Friday evening, after signing the last sheet of her paperwork. Ryan and Esposito had joined them the last time they went to the Old Haunt after a case, but this time, she and Castle were alone. Esposito excused himself, saying that he wanted nothing but sleep for eight hours straight. They might have believed him, had it not been for a certain M.E. they spotted waiting for him in the lobby. And, of course, Ryan rushed home to meet Jenny.

"I almost envy them, you know?" Castle says once they're seated in their usual booth with their drinks.

"Who?" Kate questions, looking around distractedly.

"Ryan and Jenny. Their relationship. They've been together for over a year, and they're as head over heels as they were the first day."

"Well, Castle, in my opinion, that's an unequivocal sign that they belong together," she says. "It's not usual to see a couple that gets along so well, but it's not impossible, either."

"Like you and Josh?" Castle blurts out. His brain seems to take a second to register his words, but as soon as it does, his face goes pale as a ghost. An awkward silence descends upon them, and Kate is left at a complete loss of words.

"I'm sorry," Castle rushes to say. "I don't know why I said that. I didn't—"

"Don't worry," she interrupts, cutting him off. This moment is as good as any to tell him, so she takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "It's just that… well, I broke up with Josh."

If the previous silence was awkward, this one has a whole new level of intensity. Finally, the writer recovers from his surprise, his expression carefully guarded.

"I'm sorry," he offers, even though the look in his eyes is almost hopeful.

Emboldened by the spark in his pupils, Kate takes the next step.

"I'm not." She pauses, mulling over her next words. "I really liked him, but that wasn't enough." She carefully studies Castle's expression, looking for a sign of understanding there.

"And who… I mean, when… I mean…" he stammers, his mouth running away from his brain once again. "Never mind. Are you okay?"

She reaches for his hand on top of the table, looking straight into his eyes and hoping he can see the whole truth reflected in hers. When she speaks, she does so clearly, without stuttering.

"I'm better than okay, Castle."

He remains transfixed in their intertwined hands for a moment before he turns his around to caress her knuckles with his thumb. A bright smile makes his way onto his face, wider that Kate has ever seen.

That night they don't speak on the phone. Instead, they spend hours on end tangled in the sheets on Kate's bed. And when the moonlight reflects on Castle's eyes, she realizes there's no other place she'd rather be.

* * *

 _The End_

 _A/N: Thank you for your reviews and for adding me or this story to your follow/favorite list. And a huge ovation to encantadaa for her beta work._


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